Air Layering Cont.
Drill a hole in the center of the pot base to accommodate the limb. Cut the pot down one side so it can be wrapped around the limb. Once the pot has been prepared, follow the same initial tasks: select a branch that has good form with upright growth, wounding the branch with the pliers and treating the wound with the rooting hormone. This is generally a two person job at this point, one located at the top of a ladder amongst the top of the tree or shrub and another person on the ground, handing items up as required. You should preplan for this endeavor by filling a tote basket with all your implements and materials and go out and survey the trees. Once you have successfully located your branch and wounded it then you will treat the wound with the rooting hormone, note that you never dip your branch directly into your rooting hormone container. Next, center the plastic pot, base down, over the wounded area. Use either a wooden or plastic clothespin, to clip under the pot and around the branch, to hold the pot in place. Use duct tape to seal the cut on the side of the pot, making certain you seal it up well from the top down to the base of the pot. Once sealed, fill it with dampened moisture control planting soil, this can be purchased in any gardening department. It is very important to make certain you either purchase soil with the moisture control included or mix moisture granules into your soil medium prior to placing into the sealed pot; this aids in keeping the new roots damp as you force them to grow on the branch. Since you are using a pot on an upright branch, the top will remain open for caching rain water and further replenishing the moisture in the soil surrounding the wound. As a rule, you leave the pot on the branch for 6 months and then, gently peeling or cutting through the duct tape, check for roots. If there is a good setting on of roots, feel free to cut the branch away at the base of the pot and as with the previous method, place it in a sheltered area where it will be watered on a regular basis until ready to be planted in your yard or shared with a fellow gardener.
Please note that even with the use of moisture control soil, you may still lose plants if there is insufficient rain or if the host plant is in too sunny an area. Most of all, make certain that you baby your rootings once you separate them from the host plant.
One secret to successful propagating is to have an excellent resource available as you start this process, although a resource of choice could be a hard cover book on North American propagation, there are excellent online resources available such as your local county extension along with a number of other sites available on the Internet, just make certain that you review them for appropriateness for your growing season.
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Please note that even with the use of moisture control soil, you may still lose plants if there is insufficient rain or if the host plant is in too sunny an area. Most of all, make certain that you baby your rootings once you separate them from the host plant.
One secret to successful propagating is to have an excellent resource available as you start this process, although a resource of choice could be a hard cover book on North American propagation, there are excellent online resources available such as your local county extension along with a number of other sites available on the Internet, just make certain that you review them for appropriateness for your growing season.
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